Thoughts on mid 90s Dodge Ram?

Blaze

Blaze

The Jeeper Reaper
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Location
Wake Forest, NC
Anyone have any thoughts? I am debating selling my Subaru to get into a truck. We hope to be building this house soon and the WRX will definitely be hard to use for this purpose. Plus I can save a bunch of money on insurance and monthly payments.

I can get a good looking Ram extended cab for like $2500 or so. Putting a little bit of money into it is not a big issue. I am guessing since it is a Dodge the transmissions are a problem.

I hate to sell my Subaru, but I could save $250 a month on insurance and monthly payments.

Thoughts?
 
I think the auto trannys behind the gas motors in those trucks fail prematurely. That is all I know.
 
They had a couple years in there somewhere with some metallurgy problems. The wheels kept falling off. I don't remember when that was though.
 
I have heard of rear end problems, trans problems, overall interior problems (dash mainly), electrical gremlins....
 
why not look for a mid 90's diesel ram.. great running gear and can take a beating.. plus you can find them pretty cheap and you can turn up the power with ease
 
from what i've seen the dodge trannys make gm trannys look like a dream, it seems that the chrysler transmission in these are more sensitive to neglect and abuse-they'll last pretty well if well taken care of and not beaten on. it's pretty rare to find one from these years with an intact dash, they plastic cracks something terrible with summer heat. don't expect great fuel mileage out of them either-they make ok power but suck gas like no tommorow.
 
there is no comparison between a mid 90s GM and a mid 90s dodge.
The GM was actually a fairly solid truck and if you didnt lift it or crank the torsion bars the GM IFS was pretty damn reliable. No major interior problems and for a tranny you had a 700 or a 4L60, both will run a long time and are cheap to rebuild when they go.

The dodge is too sexy for its paint, it will throw it off the hood.
Its too sexy for its dash it will bust it open.
Its too sexy for its tranny, actually no its not the tranny is too sexy for the dodge it will run away.
Brakes were notoriously shitty on those as well.
 
Blaze said:
Because I'm looking to spend less than $3000, preferably $2500 or $2000.I need the extended cab, too.

I would love a CTD Ram, I used to work for Cummins back in college as an engineering intern.
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Rocky Mount?

anyway, <$3k for a 'reliable extended cab truck' is setting the bar pretty high, IMHO
 
Yep, good ol' Rocky Mount (or Whitakers, actually).

I know I can find one. Not looking for a top of the line leather interior, etc. Just a high mileage bare bones extended cab truck. I looked last night and found a few 96-97 Z71s in that range that seemed ok.

I think I am going to just keep the Subie and hopefully all my finances will work out so I don't need to sell it. My wife and I agreed that if need be we'll just buy an old longbed to use for building the house, old beater work truck we could get for dirt cheap.
 
My company is doing some work down there this year-end, so my ears perked up - MIDDLE OF NOWHERE hahaha.

solid idea on the truck.
 
I have a 96 2500 with the V10 and NV4500. It is a good truck. The dash does crack a little, but not as bad as the early 2000s. The auto trans are a problem, like most dodge and jeep autos in the 90s. I like mine, and I would buy it again.
 
I second Clay's opinion. I have a 96 5.9L gas 2500 with manual trans. It has been a GREAT truck! Minimal repairs, decent power and gas mileage. It does have a cracked dash and I've repaired some of the paint flaking but I would definitely buy it again!
 
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